According to experts in the field, China’s dominance over critical minerals poses an unacceptable risk. They point out that critical minerals are the world’s building blocks for emerging and future technologies, used in everything from wind turbines to electric vehicles.
“They are essential to manufacturing, clean energy production, semiconductor production, and for the defense and aerospace industries,” an analysis of global economy states.
China currently controls much of the global critical minerals marketplace. It is the lead producer of 29 commodities including 22 minerals and seven industrial materials.
All this didn’t escape the attention of members of the U.S. Congress.
A new policy working group was formed by the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. The group is focused on countering China’s control of the critical mineral supply chain.
Congressman Rob Wittman was named to lead the committee.
“Dominance over global supply chain for critical mineral and rare earth elements is the next stage of great power competition,” Wittman said. “We must secure American access to these minerals that are integral to the technology we rely on in our daily lives and for our national defense. I look forward to leading the Critical Minerals Working Group with (Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.) to elevate this aspect of the serious economic threat posed by the Chinese.”
The policy working group is charged with producing legislation and spreading awareness through committee events to counter the Chinese dominance of critical minerals.
Wittman emphasized that the Critical Minerals Policy Working Group will work to create transparency in the U.S. supply chain dependency for minerals and develop a package of proposed investments, regulatory reforms and tax incentives to reduce that dependency.
In an interview with Wittman, I asked what kind of a role model the United States should follow in response to the dominance of China in the field of critical minerals.
“While the United States has faced critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities for many decades, the scale and scope of the challenges before us today are unique,” Wittman said. “We must elevate domestic competencies for critical mineral and rare earth elements access and processing, while focusing on technology and workforce development in the short-term. At the same time, we must protect and reinforce our environmental standards and stewardship that differentiate us from the Chinese Communist Party.”
I also asked Wittman what role he sees for institutions of higher education, such as William & Mary and its considerable research capability, in finding solutions to the problem.
“Research institutions and universities will be a very important part of our effort to find a solution to the critical minerals challenge,” Wittman said. “They can produce the research that enables a more effective use of minerals for all kinds of technology like batteries, phones, lasers and partner with industry to develop technologies and processes to more efficiently mine and process minerals domestically.”
Wittman singled out William & Mary’s international development research lab, AidData.
“It contributes by showing the potential harm of Chinese development financing in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and helps build a case for loosening China’s vise grip on those sources of critical minerals.”
Wittman pointed out that the complexity of supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements essential for advanced weapons, electric vehicles and battery storage makes it challenging to fully mitigate existing risks.
“Our working group aims to generate policy options to enhance the security of supply chains for high-priority minerals impacting Americans’ daily lives,” he said.
Frank Shatz is a Williamsburg resident. He is the author of “Reports from a Distant Place,” the compilation of his selected columns. The book is available at the Bruton Parish Shop and on Amazon.com.
